Parade in Ninove and Krakelingen Festival in Geraardsbergen

Ninove Carnival Parade

Talk about serendipity!  We were on are way to Geraardsbergen (see below) when we saw a bunch of floats and people in costume.  It looked like something fun was about to start so we decided to stop and check it out.  Not only did we get there just in time, we also found a "primo" spot from which we could watch the parade.  Note how many people in the parade are drinking alcohol (mostly Jupiler beer).  Some were even making mixed drinks right on the floats!

The costumes were hilarious and the atmosphere was very festive...a great find.

These last floats were incredible!  People were dancing, playing drums and moving in unison on platforms that swiveled around.  I couldn't believe how well they all kept the beat.

Krakelingen Festival, Geraardsbergen

This is Carnival Geraardsbergen style!  This Flemish town is known for 3 things:  A bike race which includes a long, steep downhill section on a cobblestone road (poses many challenges to riders), a sweet pastry filled with cheese curd called a Mattentart (a little dry for my taste), and a festival in which local dignitaries drink goblets of wine that contain live fish and then throw Krakelingen (hard sugared buns) to the audience.  The Krakelingen Festival also has rides for kids and a parade through town.

The main events (mentioned above) takes place on a hill that overlooks the city.  You have to walk up the steep, cobblestone road (mentioned above) to get to it.  Once you reach the hill, you then have to walk up to the top where they have a big platform set up.  There is also a small church on the hill.

Festival members and local dignitaries in traditional dress parade up to the top where a large fish bowl awaits them.  Then, one by one, they drink from a goblet filled with wine and a live fish.  There is a person responsible for filling the goblet with wine and another for using a small net to add the fish.

If that is not bizarre enough, they all (there must have been around 20 of them) then throw thousands of hard sugared buns to the audience from the platform.  The goal for audience members is to try and catch as many as possible.  Rick caught one and Matt caught two, but the rest of us were not successful. 

I don't know all of the history behind this tradition, but one thing I read said that it is supposed to represent the end of winter and the beginning of spring.  Why live fish and hard sugared buns???  I have no idea!  Apparently, the live fish thing has got animal rights activists up in arms though.  Nevertheless, Geraardsbergen has no intention of changing anything.

Just another quirky festival in a quirky little country...

All good day trips must end with a stop at a local beer bar...